Suicide belts found after deadly attack in Jordan
Canadian tourist among 10 dead, 4 gunmen killed in siege
The government of Canada stands ready to assist Jordan in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice. Canadian Foreign Ministry official
AMMAN: Jordanian police said yesterday they found suicide belts and other explosives in the hideout of suspected Islamic State group jihadists behind an attack that killed 10 people, including a Canadian tourist and police officers.
Another 34 people were wounded, including a second Canadian. Four gunmen were shot dead by police during the course of the siege.
The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres south of the capital Amman.
Jordan’s general security department said seven policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings.
It said that 27 others, including policemen and civilians, were wounded.
Four attackers who had taken refuge in the castle were killed later Sunday by security forces who had besieged them amid exchanges fire lasting several hours, a security source said.
The Canadian foreign ministry confirmed that one of its nationals had been killed in the attack and another injured in “the heinous attack.”
Canadian officials in Amman are “actively working with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to Canadians at this difficult time,” a foreign ministry official said.
“The government of Canada stands ready to assist Jordan in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice,” a statement added.
Earlier, the prime minister said 10 gunmen were holed up in the fortress, while the general security department spoke of “five or six gunmen” who were thought to be involved in the shootings.
The first attack took place early in the afternoon when a police patrol went to check on a house fire in Karak, the department said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.
“As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car,” the statement said.
Gunmen later fired on another patrol while more shots rang out from inside the Crusader castle, aimed at the Karak police station and “wounding several policemen and passers-by,” it said.
A senior security source said some people had been trapped in part of the citadel when the gunmen took shelter there, but denied media reports that they were being held hostage.
“There are no hostages. But some people who were on a lower f loor were afraid of leaving as the gunmen traded fire with the security forces,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. – AFP